Apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



V. V. MESSER.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY :4. 19m.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

2 25%; a W H VLADIMIR VQMESSER, .OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN.

,APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1?, 1918.

Application filed May 14, 1918. Serial No. 234,884.

- \To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, vmmmk V. Mnssnn,

awitiz'en of the United States, residing in Wauwatosa, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for raising sunken vessels, and has for itsobject to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby a grapple member after being lowered to the proper depth can be driven into an operative engagement with the hull of the sunken vessel by the ignition of an explosive charge, thereby avoidin the necessity of employing divers, and ena ling vessels to be raised from de ths which are too great or under unfavorable existing conditions.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which can be readily lowered into operative position, which can be used effectively for the raising of steel vessels or of vessels having heavy metal plates on the hull thereof, which enables a firm hold to be obtained upon the sunken vessel for the purpose of liftin the same, and which is thoroughly dependable in its operation.

The herein illustrated and described referable embodiment of the principles 0 the invention is but one of other ossible structural arrangements that may e adopted 'for carrying the invention into practical eifect.

J For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which .Fi re 1 is aside elevation of a grapple mem er constructed in accordance withv the invention, portions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate more clearly the details of construction.

Fig, 2 is a similar view looking at the grapple member from a position at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates one out of many possible embodiments of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a barrel which is closed at its upper end and provides an explosion chamber 2. A piston- 3 is slidably mounted within the barrel 1, said piston being connected to the upper end of a plunger 4 which extends downwardly through the lower end of the barrel and terminates in a flat head 5 which is preferably integral with the plunger. -Th1s head 5 has a knife edge 6 at the bottom thereof and is slidable through a combined.

guide and hoisting collar 7.

The piston 3 is provided with suitable packing means such as a copper gasket 8 which is held in position by a rin '9, and the plunger 4 is rigidly connecte to the piston, being shown .in the present instance as having a threaded connection 10 therewith. The lower end of the barrel 1 1s initially closed by a plate 11 which is secured at its periphery to the barrel by suitable fastenin means such as the screws 12, a gasket 13 dieing interposed between the plate and the barrel to provide a watertight connection therewith. The plunger 4- extends centrally through the plate 11 and is shown as having a threaded connection therewith. A cushioning washer 15 of wood or like material surrounds the plunger 1 and is arranged immediately above the plate 11, i

a metal washer 16 being superposed upon the wooden washer, and the two washers 15 and 16 being positionedin a slightly flared portion at the mouth of the barrel so as to be held in proper position by an interior shoulder 17 in the barrel.

The exterior of the barrel 1 is provided with laterally projecting eyes or keepers 18 through which a pair of hoisting cables 19 are threaded, the lower ends of the cables being secured to wings 20 which project laterally from the collar 7. Set screws 21may be threaded in the collar 7 and screwed into a light frictional engagement with the head 5 of the plunger to support the head and barrel in proper position while the grapple member is being lowered as a unit into engagement with the hull of the sunken vessel to be raised. The frictional engagement between the set screws and the head is just suf- -ficient to support the parts in proper posihead 5 above the cutting edge 6 atthe bottom thereof, and a dog 23 is pivotally mounted within each of the slots, said dogs being all supported upon a transverse pivot pin 24; and being arranged to have the upper ends thereof swung outwardly into the op-' erative position by springs 25. When the dogs are swung upwardly into a vertical position, as indicated by full lines on Fig. 2,

they are completely housed in the head 5 sooutwardly on the opposite side of the head,

the open position of the dogs being indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 2. Th dogs will swing upwardly to admit of the head passing through a small opening, although as .soon as the head has'passed through -the through the top of the plug, a stuffing-box:- provide'dto insure a water-tight opening the dogs will expand into operative position and prevent withdrawal of the head through the opening. 1

Theupper end of the barrel 1 is formed with an opening within which an ignition plug 28 is fitted, said plug being provided .at-

its lower end with a cap 29 whichprojects into the barrel and contains a charge of'fulminate of mercury, or similar material. A pin 30 is slidable in the plug and arranged under a stemBl which extends upwardly 32 being joint. I The upper end of the stem 31 is adapted to be engaged and pushed downwardly by a lever 33 which is pivoted be: tween its ends upon a suitable bracket 34.

In the present instance this bracket is shown as being carried by a collar which is rotatable on the plug 28 and adapted to be socured in proper position by a set screw 36.

' thereof being A firing rod 37 extends along the barrel 1 upon the exterior thereof, the upper end pivotally connected to the lever 33, whi e the lower end thereof passes through a guide eye 38 and isdeflected inwardly at 37 -to a point adjacent the collar 7, the extremity slightly below the collar.

In the operation of the device the chamber 2 of the barrel is filled with a charge of powderor-likematerial and the parts adusted as indicated by Fig. 1 ofthe drawing.

The grapple member 'is then loweredas a unit into engagement with the sunken vessel which it is desired to raise. When the grapple'member contacts with the sunken vessel the firing rod 37 is moved upwardly and the the powder charge.

of the rod projecting lever 33 caused to force the stem 31 and pin .30 of the ignition plug downwardly, thereby causing the fulminate of mercury to ignite The explosion of this pow er charge forces the piston 2 and plunger 4 violently downward, separating the plate 11 from the lower end or" the barrel I or driving the plunger through its threaded connection with the'plate. At the same time the head 5 is driven through the guide collar 7 and caused to penetrate the portion of the sunken vessel with which the grapple member has been brought into contact. As previously explained, the dogs 23 will permit the head to pass readily through the ves-. sel, although they willexpand and-prevent the head from being withdrawn from the vessel. The recoil of the explosion will force the barrel 1 upwardly, and the wooden washer 15 will serve to partially absorb the shock. incident to the tearing away of the connections at the lower end of the barrel, as previously explained; Where a heavy powder charge is necessary it may be desirable to provide some means such as the wings 39 to increase the resistance of the barrel to the water and assist the same in taking up the recoil. Under someconditions it may be found, desirable to lower several of the grapple members at-the" same time and simul' taneously ignitethe explosive charges by electrical means, although this is only one of many ossiblemodifi'cations which are entirely wlthin the scope of the invention.

Likewise structural changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims;

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A device for raising sunken ships in-., cluding a hoistingcable, a ship penetrating a head operatively, connected to the hoisting cable, and explosive actuated means includ- 11o ing a loosely mounted barrel for driving the penetrating head into the ship.

2. A device for raising sunken ships, including a hoisting cable, a ship penetrating head operatively connected to the hoisting cable, and explosive actuatedmeans including a barrel slidably mounted on the cable for driving the penetrating head into the ship.

3. A device for raising sunken ships, ineluding a hoisting cable, a ship penetrating head having a sliding connection with the hoisting cable and provided with a iston,

a barrelreceiving the piston and oosely, mounted upon the cable, and means for igniting an explosive charge into the barrel for driving the penetratmg head into the ski 4 A device for raising sunken'ships, including a-hoisting cable, a guide collar mm nected to the hoisting cable, a ship penetrating head slidable through the guide collar, expansible dogs carried by the ship penetrating head and normally held in a. retracttion by engagement with the collar, and ex plosive actuated means for driving the peneti'lating head through the collar into the s 1p.

6. A device for raising sunken ships, including a hoisting cable, a ship penetrating head operatively connected to the hoisting cable, explosive actuated means for driving the penetrating head into the ship, and trip means actuated by engagement with the ship for igniting the explosive.

7. A device for raising sunken ships, including a barrel inclosing an explosion chamber, a piston mounted within the barrel, a head carried by the piston and adapted to be driven into the sunken ship by the ignition of a powder charge in the explosion chamber, an ignition plug applied to the barrel and including a firing pin, a lever for actuating the firing pin, and a slidably mounted firing rod operatively connected to the lever and extending downwardly below the head for engagement with the sunken ship when the devlce is in operative position.

8. A device for raising sunken ships, including a barrel having an open lower end and inclosing an explosion chamber, a piston mounted within the barrel, a plunger connected to the piston and extendin through the open end of the barrel, a head carried by the plunger, a plate initially closing the lower end oi the barrel, said plate being adapted to be torn away and the head to be driven into the sunken ship by the ignition of a powder charge in the explosion chamber, and hoisting means connected to the head.

9. A device for raising sunken ships, including a barrel inclosing an explosion chamber, a piston mounted within the barrel, a head carried by the piston, a guide collar loosely surrounding the head, means -for igniting a powder charge in the explosion chamber to drive the head through the guide collar into the sunken ship, and hoisting means connected to the guide collar, said guide collar engaging the piston when drawn upwardly.

10. A device for raising sunken ships, including a barrel inclosing an explosion chamber, a piston mounted within the explosion chamber, a head carried by the piston, a guide collar loosely surrounding the head, means for igniting a powder charge in the explosion chamber to drive the head into the sunken ship, expansible dogs on the head to prevent withdrawal thereof from the ship, and hoisting cables connected to the collar, said collar being adapted to engage the piston when drawn upwardly, and the barrel being slidable on the hoisting cables.

11. A device for raising sunken ships, including a hoisting cable, a ship penetrating head carried by the hoisting cable, explosive actuated means including a barrel slidable upon the cable for driving the penetrating head into the ship, ignition means for the barrel, and trip means controlling the ignition means and including a rod projecting downwardly at one side of the penetrating head for engagement with the sunken ship.

12. A device for raising sunken ships,-in- 

